This invention relates to a round baler such as for use in forming round bales of agricultural crop material, and more particularly to a system for dispensing net or mesh-type wrap material onto a completed bale.
A baler for forming round bales of agricultural crop material includes a system for wrapping a completed bale to hold the bale together during transportation and storage. Typically, round bales are wrapped with either twine or net or mesh-type wrap material. The present invention has to do with applying a net or mesh-type wrap material to a completed bale.
A prior art wrap material dispensing system is disclosed in Butler U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,207 issued Jul. 14, 1992, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The '207 patent illustrates a wrap material dispensing system in which a series of wrap material conveying belts face and engage the baler belts. The end of the wrap material is supplied to a pinch point between the baler belts and the conveying belts, and the wrap material is advanced between the baler belts and the conveying belts to introduce the end of the net material into the bale-forming chamber of the baler. The wrap material is then caught on the bale, and rotates along with the bale to wrap the bale. A knife is actuated when a desired amount of wrap material has been wrapped onto the bale, to sever the wrap material. The wrapped bale is then discharged from the baler in preparation for forming a subsequent bale.
The system disclosed in the '207 patent utilizes an extendible and retractable linear actuator to advance the end of the wrap material to the pinch point between the baler belts and the conveying belts, and to move the knife between its operative and inoperative positions. While this system functions satisfactorily to advance the wrap material and to sever the wrap material, the system involves certain drawbacks in the use of the wrap material conveying belt assembly, which adds to the overall cost of the system and involves a number of moving parts that require maintenance. Further, the use of a linear actuator to advance the end of the wrap material requires the linear actuator to have a relatively long stroke, which increases its cost and also occupies a significant amount of space in the interior of the housing of the wrap material dispensing system. Further, the range of advancement of the end of the wrap material is finite due to the stroke of the linear actuator, which required the use of the conveying belt assembly to advance the end of the wrap material to the pinch point between the baler belts and the conveying belts.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wrap material dispensing system for an agricultural round baler which eliminates the finite wrap material advancement of the prior art system, and which provides a more efficient and cost effective system for dispensing the wrap material onto a completed bale. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system which combines the wrap material advancement and cutting mechanisms. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a wrap material dispensing system which utilizes a unique motor drive system for advancing and cutting the wrap material. A still further object of the invention is to provide such a wrap material dispensing system having a relatively small number of parts, to reduce the overall part count of the system and thereby the overall cost and maintenance of the system. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a system which is relatively simple in its construction and incorporation into a round baler.
In accordance with the present invention, a wrap material dispensing system for an agricultural baler includes a motor-driven advancing arrangement with which the wrap material is engaged and which is operable to advance the wrap material to a wrap material feeding arrangement associated with the baler. Representatively, the wrap material feeding arrangement may be in the form of a series of bars that are in alignment with spaces between adjacent belts of the baler, and which are configured to form an entry area for the wrap material. Operation of the drive arrangement functions to advance the leading end of the wrap material toward the entry area, to enable the wrap material to be engaged with the baler belts to advance the wrap material into the bale-forming chamber for application to the bale.
The wrap material dispensing system of the present invention includes a cutting arrangement which is selectively operable to cut the wrap material when a desired amount of wrap material has been dispensed onto the bale. The cutting arrangement includes a knife member, which is movable between an inoperative or rest position, in which the knife member is located out of the path of the wrap material, and a cutting position in which the knife member is moved into the path of the wrap material to sever the wrap material.
The motor-driven wrap material advancing arrangement is operable in a first direction to advance the wrap material toward the entry area of the wrap material feeding arrangement, and is movable in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the knife member from its rest position to its cutting position. The knife member is preferably mounted to a pivotable actuator shaft, and a one-way knife actuating clutch arrangement is interconnected between the pivotable actuator shaft and the drive arrangement. The one-way clutch arrangement is inoperative when the drive arrangement is operated in the first direction to advance the wrap material, to maintain the knife member in its rest position. When the drive arrangement is operated in the second direction, the one-way clutch arrangement engages so as to cause movement of the knife member from its rest position to its cutting position.
The motor-driven advancing arrangement is preferably in the form of a motor having a rotatable output member, which is driven in either a first direction of rotation or a second direction of rotation by the motor so as to control the direction of the advancing arrangement and thereby movement of the knife member. The wrap material advancing arrangement preferably includes a pair of nip rollers, at least one of which is driven by operation of the motor through engagement of a flexible drive member, such as a chain, between the motor output member and the nip roller. An overrunning clutch is engaged between the driven nip roller and the flexible drive member, to allow rapid advancement of the wrap material when the wrap material is engaged with the baler belts. In this manner, the motor can be operated to rotate the rotatable output member in the second direction while the wrap material is being advanced, so as to move the knife member to its cutting position and to thereby sever the wrap material when a desired amount of wrap material has been applied to the bale.
The invention contemplates a round baler incorporating a wrap material dispensing system as set forth above, as well as an improvement in a wrap material dispensing system and a method of applying wrap material to a bale, substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.